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Here, we report a one-pot, straightforward, and efficient method for the covalent functionalization of black phosphorous (BP) nanosheets with biopolymers on a gram scale. l-lactide and glycidol monomers were stepwise copolymerized onto the surface of exfoliated BP resulting in highly water-soluble functional nanosheets (BP-PLA-PG). In contrast to pristine BP, their functionalized counterparts did not degrade under ambient conditions and were stable for several weeks. Owing to their stability, efficient photothermal effect, and low toxicity, BP-PLA-PG sheets were loaded with doxorubicin (DOX), and their anticancer effect was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The laser-triggered release of DOX, in combination with the photothermal effect of the functionalized BP sheets, manifested in strong antitumor effects in animal studies. One-pot straightforward functionalization, high loading capacity, low toxicity, excellent water dispersibility and stability, as well as high functionality, support BP-PLA-PG as a promising vector for the future biomedical applications, including targeted drug delivery and bioimaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their unique structure and properties, water-soluble fullerene derivatives are of great interest for various biomedical purposes. In this work, solution behavior, encapsulation and release properties, biocompatibility, and cellular uptake pathways of fullerene-polyglycerol amphiphiles (FPAs) with defined structures are investigated. The number of polyglycerol branches attached to the surface of fullerene affects the physicochemical properties of FPAs dramatically but not their cellular uptake. Release of encapsulated hydrophobic dyes from FPAs strongly depends on the number of their branches. Conjugation of a pH-sensitive dye to the FPAs as a probe showed that their self-assemblies are taken up through endocytotic pathways. It was observed that FPAs are able to transfer small molecules into cells both above and below their critical aggregation concentration. Taking advantage of the water solubility, biocompatibility, and transfer-ability of FPAs, they might find use as unimolecular carriers for future biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While noncovalent interactions at two-dimensional nanobiointerfaces are extensively investigated, less knowledge about covalent interactions at this interface is available. In this work, boronic acid-functionalized 2D MoS 2 was synthesized and its covalent multivalent interactions with bacteria and nematodes were investigated. Polymerization of glycidol by freshly exfoliated MoS 2 and condensation of 2,5-thiophenediylbisboronic acid on the produced platform resulted in boronic acid-functionalized 2D MoS 2 . The destructive interactions between 2D MoS 2 and bacteria as well as nematodes were significantly amplified by boronic acid functional groups. Because of the high antibacterial and antinematodal activities of boronic acid-functionalized 2D MoS 2 , its therapeutic efficacy for diabetic wound healing was investigated. The infected diabetic wounds were completely healed 10 days after treatment with boronic acid-functionalized 2D MoS 2 , and a normal structure for recovered tissues including different layers of skin, collagen, and blood vessels was detected.

A novel surface coating with durable broad-spectrum antibacterial ability was prepared based on mussel-inspired dendritic polyglycerol (MI-dPG) embedded with copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs). The functional surface coating is fabricated via a facile dip-coating process followed by in situ reduction of copper ions with a MI-dPG coating to introduce Cu NPs into the coating matrix. This coating has been demonstrated to possess efficient long-term antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and kanamycin-resistant E. coli through an "attract-kill-release" strategy. The synergistic antibacterial activity of the coating was shown by the combination of two functions of the contact killing, reactive oxygen species production and Cu ions released from the coating. Furthermore, this coating inhibited biofilm formation and showed good compatibility to eukaryotic cells. Thus, this newly developed Cu NP-incorporated MI-dPG surface coating may find potential application in the design of antimicrobial coating, such as implantable devices.